This invention relates generally to ink jet printing systems, and more particularly to piezoelectric ink jet printing systems.
A piezoelectric ink jet printhead is susceptible to problems when suddenly jarred. This is because the piezoelectric components of the printhead effect the delivery of ink to the orifices of the printhead at extremely low pressures. As a result, when the printhead is subjected to vibration or impact, the flow of ink through passages in the printhead and related supply lines may be interrupted, causing undesirable discontinuities in the supply of ink to the ink orifices and often necessitating "repriming" of the printhead. This problem is magnified when the line from the ink supply to the printhead is relatively long because there is a greater likelihood that vibration-induced shock moving through the line will disrupt the flow of ink. Previously, ink jet systems have used relatively small ink reservoirs located close to the printhead to reduce the length of the supply line. However, due to its small capacity, the reservoir must be refilled manually or replaced, at frequent intervals, which is inconvenient and increases downtime of the system.